Chaosynthesis: Sequence #2.4302023

Apr 30, 2023

It’s around the point of Knoxville on the Tennessee highway that the green foliage departs to red, orange, and even violet, and beyond which the rolling hills and mountains of Appalachia declare countless miles of forested hills and valleys between here and there, and to the northeast, the countryside of Virginia.

Welcome to the Chaos Synthesizer. This is Tommy B. Smith, writer, cat telepath, liaison of New Chaos, and author of such works as The Mourner’s Cradle, Anybody Want to Play WAR?, and the Black Carmenia series.

In Williamsburg, I commenced my first event of the year, AuthorCon, presented by Scares That Care. As a charity event, I’ve heard much about it over the past years.

From the website: “‘Scares That Care!’ Inc., is an IRS approved, 501©(3) charity. Founded in 2006, ‘Scares That Care!’ to date has raised and donated over $300,000 to organizations and families with a child affected by illness, burns, or women fighting breast cancer.”

Shortly after reading a post about the event from author Jay Wilburn last year, I commenced tentative plans to attend. Sadly, Jay is no longer with us, but in many ways, his presence weighed prominently on this year’s AuthorCon.

I first met Jay at World Horror Convention 2013 in New Orleans. At that time, while carting around a dead baby doll and a jug of bleach on my book tour for Poisonous, I secured a copy of Loose Ends: A Zombie Novel, and we chatted about projects in development and navigating the world of writing and publishing in the past versus the present—which has now become the past.

And while this weekend in Williamsburg wherein conversation, camaraderie, and a passion for books and horror has also become a part of the past, the experience provides plenty to consider for the future.

It’s now mid-spring. Happy Walpurgisnacht and Beltane.

Black Carmenia

“What a deliciously scary read this was!” –Long and Short Reviews, Oblivion’s Child

“Absolutely chilling, with monsters and darkness around every corner.” –Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews, Oblivion’s Child

New reviews have landed, and I would love to see more reviews and/or comments from any of you who are enjoying the Black Carmenia series. For those who haven’t yet read the new book, that issue is easily remedied. You can order it here.

I should also mention that, for those who happen to live in the Fort Smith/River Valley area or thereabout, signed copies of these titles and more are available from Bookish in the Bakery District. In addition, signed first edition copies of my short story collection, Pieces of Chaos, are available from Timeless Oddities & Curiosities in downtown Fort Smith.

Expect to see the third Black Carmenia book landing in late 2023 or early 2024. Meanwhile, do you have a favorite character in the series?

Independent Bookstore Day

April 29 was Independent Bookstore Day. I paid a visit to our very own above-mentioned independent bookstore, Bookish, and obtained a copy of What Follows is True: Crescent Hotel. This graphic novel depicts the intriguing history and dark course of events surrounding the history of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

I have visited the hotel and explored its halls and history. I’ve wandered the morgue, stood in the meat locker, climbed its multiple stairways with too-short railings, and enjoyed a champagne brunch in the Crystal Dining Room, except I didn’t partake of the champagne. Coffee, please, because the roads of Eureka Springs spiral up, down, and around like an old rollercoaster.

Besides the annual events of Independent Bookstore Day, Bookish also hosts the Fort City Slam on the first Friday of each month, which unites an array of creative voices from the area for an evening of readings and performances. Stems & Stories is another popular event with Bookish, pairing wines with books.

Elsewhere, Ghoulish Books has opened its doors, the first and only horror-centric bookstore in the area of San Antonio, Texas. Its innovators, Max Booth III and Lori Michelle, also host the Ghoulish Book Festival.

In the land of bourbon, another horror-focused bookstore has planted its twisted roots: Butcher Cabin Books. Since its opening in October of 2022, I’ve considered a visit. This should happen in mid-July, since I will be in Louisville, Kentucky for Imaginarium, a creative convention that began with a fire alarm in 2014 and now approaches its tenth year.

Events

The Black Carmenia book tour continues. A number of events pepper the months ahead, likely with more to come.

May 11, 2023, 4:00-6:00 p.m.: Fort Smith Public Library in Fort Smith, AR.

June 3-4, 2023: Fort Smith Comic Con in Fort Smith, AR.

June 15-18, 2023: StokerCon in Pittsburgh, PA.

June 30-July 2, 2023: SoonerCon in Norman, OK.

July 14-16, 2023: Imaginarium in Louisville, KY.

August 5-6, 2023: Oklahoma City’s Horror Con in Oklahoma City, OK.

August 11-13, 2023: KillerCon in Austin, TX.

For additional updates, watch http://tommybsmith.net.

And of course, if you:

You can also follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/penofchaos

And/or Facebook, via my author page: http://www.facebook.com/authortommybsmith

Until the next, dear friends and readers. Time is a worm on fire.

Love and Destruction,

Tommy B.